Increase Your ROI Today by Optimizing Your Refrigeration with Continuous Commissioning Using Remote Management Tools

Abstract

For decades refrigeration has been the target for improving and opti-
mizing energy efficiency. Most of the efforts dealt with the mechanical side,
including compressors, condensers, and the controls that manage them.
Today we also see enhancements in the type of refrigerants being used. This
article will focus more on the evaporator side, including temperature and
defrost control and monitoring performance by measuring evaporator coil
temperature and compressor amps, which is then used to diagnose state,
recommission, and optimize operation. This is then followed by continu-
ous performance monitoring, also known as continuous commissioning
of the system.
The basis for this article comes from the fact that all refrigeration
systems are or should be sized to maintain temperature during the hottest
day of the year. Additionally, it is common for systems to be oversized for
those hot days. Depending on the size of the cooler or freezer, or the value
of the product stored, there are many redundant systems where either can
handle the entire load.
Therefore, one of the overlooked opportunities for saving energy
are the evaporator fan motors (heaters) that operate 24/7 even after the
setpoint is achieved. This article will attempt to detail how end users
have realized 30-50% energy savings through proper application of safely
managing evaporator fan operation and defrost. It will also discuss how
end users have taken something complicated and were able to change
their perspective and behavior with simple, user-friendly web based
tools.